Inquiry under bounds (Part 2: Rationality at the crossroads)
This post introduces bounded rationality by contrasting it with a received Standard Picture of rationality.
Category: books
Inquiry under bounds (Part 1: Introduction)
This post begins a five-part series introducing David Thorstad’s book, Inquiry under bounds.
Haptic Realism and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Commentary from Tina Röck on today’s post from Mazviita Chirimuuta on The Brain Abstracted (MIT Press). One way to read this book is to consider it a discussion of the limitations in our ability to understand hyper-complex, dynamic objects like the brain. In her more metaphysical chapters (2 and 8), …
Making Things Simple, Making Simple Things
Post 5 of 5 from Mazviita Chirimuuta on The Brain Abstracted (Open Access: MIT Press). The last of this series of posts summarises the conclusions regarding philosophy of science more generally that emerge from this study of simplification in neuroscience. The question of realism may have already occurred to you. …
From Explanatory Success to Cautious Realism: A few drops of disagreement
Commentary from Dimitri Coelho Mollo on today’s post from Mazviita Chirimuuta on The Brain Abstracted (MIT Press). I was lucky to have had the chance to discuss this brilliant book with Mazviita Chirimuuta and others while it was still in preparation, and I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas about it …
Evaluating Neural Representations
Post 4 of 5 from Mazviita Chirimuuta on The Brain Abstracted (Open Access: MIT Press). A central claim of the book is that recognition of the challenge of brain complexity — how it places pressure on scientists to devise experimental methods, theories and models, which drastically cut down the apparent …
Why Does Simplification Rule Out Explanation?
Commentary from Carrie Figdor on today’s post from Mazviita Chirimuuta on The Brain Abstracted (MIT Press). The animating idea of Chirimuuta’s book is that science, and neuroscience in particular, must engage in simplification in order to explain a complex world. The epistemic dangers of taking the outcomes of simplification strategies …